Call to the pen
Fansided

The Senior Class

By Bill Felber

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 28: Yadier Molina #4 of the St. Louis Cardinals looks on in the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers during Opening Day at Miller Park on March 28, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 28: Yadier Molina #4 of the St. Louis Cardinals looks on in the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers during Opening Day at Miller Park on March 28, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
(Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /

The Graybeards

St. Louis Cardinals: Yadier Molina, June 3, 2004 (2000 draftee). It will come as no surprise that the Cardinals’ catcher is the senior MLB player in terms of service in the same uniform. He began 2019 with 1,870 games of tenure since being promoted in mid-season 2004. He became the regular in his first full season, 2005.

Seattle Mariners: Felix Hernandez, August 4, 2005 (2002 amateur free agent). Installed as a rotation regular upon his MLB arrival, Hernandez has made 404 appearances in a Mariners uniform, all but one of them starts. He won the 2010 Cy Young Award.

Washington Nationals: Ryan Zimmerman, Sept. 1, 2005 (2005 draftee). Zimmerman debuted after only 67 games of minor league experience, batting .397 following his call-up. Installed as the regular third baseman at the start of the 2006 season, he finished second behind Hanley Ramirez in Rookie Of The Year voting. He has played more than 1,600 games for the Nationals.

Boston Red Sox: Dustin Pedroia, August 22, 2006 (2004 draftee). Pedroia spent the equivalent of two full seasons in the minors before getting the call, and save for a couple of injury rehab starts has never gone back. Despite the injury that cost him almost all of the 2018 season, Pedroia has played more than 1,500 games for the Red Sox. He was the 2007 Rookie Of The Year.

Kansas City Royals: Alex Gordon, April 2, 2007 (2005 draftee). Drafted out of the University of Nebraska, Gordon was a victim of expectations that prompted his shuffling between the Royals and the minors until 2011. He hit .303 that year and also played a key role in Kansas City’s 2014-2015 World Series appearances

Milwaukee Brewers: Ryan Braun, May 25, 2007 (2005 draftee). That 2005 first round was a prize-winner, producing Braun, Zimmerman, and Gordon as well as Justin Upon, Troy Tulowitzki, Andrew McCutchen, and Jacoby Ellsbury. With a 34-home run debut, Braun won the 2007 Rookie of the Year Award, later adding the 2011 MVP.

Cincinnati Reds: Joey Votto, Sept. 4, 2007 (2002 draftee). Votto has played more than 1,570 games, all of them for the Reds and all but 15 as the team’s first baseman. A nine-time .300 hitter with three 100-RBI seasons, he won the MVP in 2010.

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